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Assuming the weather cooperates, both the Mets and Yankees will see first action in their new ballparks tonight in exhibition games. Because the games don't mean anything — they're basically a weekend-long photo op for everyone in attendance — tickets for tonight and tomorrow were less expensive than regular-season ones. But when the teams open the stadiums for real (the Mets' first home game is April 13 against San Diego; the Yankees' is April 16 against Cleveland), how much will a day at the park cost the average fan? According to a just-released report, quite a bit, especially if you're a Yankees fan.

According to a Team Marketing Report study, the average Yankees ticket rose an astounding 76.3 percent this year, to $72.97, the highest in the majors. The average Mets ticket rose a modest 8.6 percent to $36.99, good for fourth in the big leagues. Then there's the so-called Fan Cost Index, or the total cost of a day at the park for a family of four. At Citi Field, it's only slightly higher than it was at Shea Stadium last year, at $258.97. (The Mets actually lowered their prices on a few food items this year.) But at Yankee Stadium, the FCI rose 49.4 percent to $410.88. Of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt, because the Fan Cost Index includes a lot besides four game tickets: two beers, four sodas, four hot dogs, parking, two programs, and two caps. Has no one ever heard of taking the subway and just bringing in peanuts from the outside?